Democratic Sen. Cory Booker calls on New Jersey colleague Menendez to resign

By MARY CLARE JALONICK
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic Sen. Cory Booker is calling on fellow New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez to resign. Booker said in a statement Tuesday that the federal bribery charges against Menendez, also a Democrat, contain ”shocking allegations of corruption and specific, disturbing details of wrongdoing.” Booker’s statement comes as a growing number of Democratic senators are calling for the three-term senator to step aside. Menendez, the chairman of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and his wife Nadine were indicted on Friday, accused of using his position to aid the authoritarian government of Egypt and also to pressure federal prosecutors to drop a case against a friend.